Speak Out A 02/05/02

Going even lower

BELIEVE ME, one can get much lower than Dick Gephardt. Have you checked the GOP roster lately?

Non-essential projects

JACK STAPLETON'S column about our flea-infested state government was very timely. I suspect few of our state executives and legislators read his column. If they do, they do not heed his admonitions and pleadings. One glaring example of legislative abuse and indifference was set forth in Stapleton's Flea Problem No. 3: "Jefferson City has diverted valuable resources to build athletic stadiums and other non-essential projects while at the same time it foisted such enterprises as organized gambling to enhance its own revenue." It seems this is the order of the day in Jeff City, and it is doubtful they will change. They are pushing hard for the new Cardinal stadium and our local non-essential project, the River Campus.

Educational jargon

AS A longtime teacher, I take issue with the possible answers to some multiple-choice questions on a certification test for Missouri teachers published in the Southeast Missourian. None of the choices was correct. For example, the question, "Which of the following should be discussed with students when you give a new assignment?" is wrongly based on the premise that the issue is open to discussion. Simply tell them to do it. Students aren't stupid. They know it's for their own good. If they inquire with whiny "Why do we have to do this?" questions, tell them to be quiet and get busy or hit the road. The answer as to why students are required to be placed in the least restrictive environment was not among the choices either. The somewhat lengthy answer is because that's what the law says since it makes us feel good about ourselves and our schools and reassures us that all students are above average. All of the suggested answers were silly educational jargon or, in edubabble and pedagogical pap.

Today's GOP cause

THE GLUE that held the modern-day Republican Party together prior to the collapse of the Soviet Union was anti-communism. An anti-terrorist crusade now seems to be the cause celebre for the GOP, though support for it seems to be bipartisan with the exception of some Republican conservatives who are expressing reservations about what they fear will be an over-extension of American military power in an attempt to police the world. President Bush's singling out of Iran, Iraq and North Korea was stunning. I reacted with spine-tingling support for the president's seizure of the moment to rake these regimes over the coals. Yet I can see why some of my more cautious friends thought the look in the president's eye when he threw down the gauntlet was scary if not crazed.

Despicable group

HOW CARELESSLY a caller regarded some groups as more hateful than the KKK. I cannot believe anyone other than a supporter or member of that organization could think that it is not the most despicable, evil, inhumane group ever created.

It's your own fault

IT DOESN'T matter if a police officer is invisible. If he or she catches you speeding, it's your own fault. Quit making excuses for your poor driving skills. You're the one speeding, and you're just mad because you got caught

Gave it back early

U.S. SEN. Jean Carnahan did not return her $1,000 campaign contribution to the Enron employee fund because she gave it back before Enron went bust. If some other senators eventually returned their contributions to the Enron employee fund, they did so belatedly, after Enron went under, and in an attempt to cover their collective you know whats.

Stuck with recession

THANK YOU for reprinting the column by the editorial-page editor of the Springfield News Leader, Robert Leger. I would like to echo what I assumed to be Leger's thesis and say that I also feel some sympathy for Missouri Gov. Bob Holden for being stuck with the Bush recession.

Previous influence

A SPEAK Out caller complained that gas prices have gone up for three years in a row and states this happens every year. Then, the caller proceeds to blame it on the fact that Bush and Cheney are former oil men. Think about it. They have only been in office one year.

Bush at the helm

I DON'T understand why so many Americans want to sit back and let the whole terrorism thing slide. You're all just like Bill Clinton. He didn't want to do anything about terrorists. He has a track record of doing absolutely nothing. Maybe if he had done something, we wouldn't have had the Sept. 11 tragedy. I'm so glad George Bush is in office, and he's handling it the way it needs to be handled. Do you people not realize that America is still on high alert? More attacks can happen, and thousands more can still be killed at the hands of these cowards. You say President Bush doesn't care about the Americans. He's doing all he can to protect us, and you don't even appreciate it.

Saving a life

THE FRUITLAND, East County and Millersville fire departments run medical first responders for their respective fire districts, if the sheriff's department that dispatches them does its job correctly. Two weeks ago I had to call an ambulance for my wife who was having a heart attack, expecting to see the fire department soon. I waited almost 15 minutes for the ambulance. I did some checking and discovered the fire department was never called.

Paying the pastor

TO THE person who said pastors should not be paid: The Bible says a labor is worthy of their hire. If pastors had to count on the goodness of people to get by, they would starve. How many times on payday do you say, "That's OK. Keep your money. I was just doing my job." It's people with this attitude who make it necessary for pastors to have a salary they can count on.

Protecting the unborn

PRESIDENT BUSH is so smooth, he runs circles around the Democrats. In the State of the Union speech, Bush proposed giving medical and nutritional benefits to unborn babies. Everyone knows that unborn babies are rapidly growing in the womb, and this is one of the most important times for good nutrition and medical care. It just makes sense to help babies get the care they need. Everyone will agree that this is a good idea. Then we will know that unborn babies are, in fact, babies.